Improving canned green curry
Improving canned green curry
I've said for a long time that, for the most part, everyone just uses the same curry out of a can anyway. So just use the same Maesri cans, and you will get a good result. This is still true.
What I've discovered recently is how to use the same canned curry and really bring out its potential. The explanation can be found here.
TLDR. 1. Use the fresh coconut milk you get in Tetrapaks. I use Aroy-D, which is the same brand I used to buy cans of. 2. Cook the curry and a small amount of the coconut milk together until it breaks, and then cook everything together again.
I was skeptical at first because, duh, who wants to break the sauce? But apparently breaking the coconut milk and cooking the curry paste in it really activates the flavors in the paste. It is the kind of difference you get from toasting your spices instead of not. And coconut milk curries come back together really nicely.
For a vegetarian version of the green curry, I use a shallot (cut into small pieces to melt into the sauce), Chinese eggplant, a red bell pepper or two, a fresh bamboo shoot, and a 14oz pack of medium or firm tofu (cut bite sized). Normally, I like to use a fried tofu, but for this dish, I like the smoother texture of tofu that hasn't been fried yet.
Breaking the curry and coconut milk together takes long enough for me to chop the vegetables, and then some. Leave plenty of time to simmer the vegetables: at least half an hour, maybe up to an hour. Of course if you have some nice herbs like lime leaves or basil, use them. But it's good enough without.